Attachment for baby carriages and the like



Sept, 16, 1947. DHNEISSMAN 2,427,482

ATTACHMENT FOR BABY CARRIAGES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 14,1945 2Sheets-Sheet 1 FL .3 24 A? J as 4 V David Weissmafl INVSTOR 2% flee/4OATTORNEY Y; Sept. 16, l947. WHS MAN 2,427,482

ATTACHMENT FOR BABY CARRIAGES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 14, 1945 2Sheets-Sheet 2 David We issmafl IN YEN TOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 16,1947 antes ATTACHMENT FOR BABY CARRIAGES AND THE LIKE Claims.

My invention relates to a baby carriage which is capable of being movedfrom one level to another without shock or abrupt impact.

One object of the invention is to produce an improved baby carriage.

A further object is to produce an improved attachment which can beincorporated in newly manufactured carriages, or which can be readilyapplied to carriages already in use.

A still further object is to produce an improved attachment which, whenapplied to the carriage, will not materially increase the cost or weightof the carriage.

These and other objects are attained by my invention as set forth in thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary, diagrammatic view, partly in section, andpartly in elevation, illustrating the application of my invention to therear wheels of a baby carriage, with the carriage shown moving on anelevated surface such as a sidewalk.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, similar to Fig. 1, showing the rear wheelsof the carriage after the same have moved off the sidewalk and aredescending to the lower surface of a street.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the rear wheels of thecarriage as they move oi the lower street level onto the higher level ofthe sidewalk.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic, elevational view looking in the direction ofthe line lt on Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of an attachment embodying myinvention.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of the attachment shown inFig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a rear elevational view looking in the direction of line 'l'!on Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing a modified embodiment of myinvention.

Fig. 9 is a reduced view similar to Fig. 6, showing another embodimentof my invention.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary rear elevational view looking in the directionof the line lfllll on Fig. 9.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a wheeled vehicle, such as ababy carriage l2, carried by springs l3 fixed to an axle H! whichcarries the rear wheels l5 and It. As shown in Figs.

1 to 4, I provide two attachments embodying my invention, one near eachof the rear wheels.

As will be seen from Figs. 5, 6 and 7, each of the attachments includesa bracket or clamp l1 adapted to be suitably secured to the axle M, asfor example, by a set screw l8. This method of securing the attachmentto the axle is used when the attachment is to be applied to carriagesnow in use. Also, while I prefer to use two attachments, one near eachwheel so as to provide improved balance, one attachment positioned nearthe center of the axle may be used.

The bracket ll includes lugs or ears l9 to which an arm 28 is pivoted,as at H. The arm 22 is rotatable in either direction about the pivot 2!,except that its rotation in clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 6, islimited by a stop 22 which is in the nature of a fiat edge against whichthe arm 2 abuts when it is in its lowermost position. The arm 2t isurged in clockwise direction, to the position shown in Fig. 6, by aspring 24, one end of which is secured to the arm 20, at 25, and theother end of which is secured, at 25, to a lug 23 carried by the bracketll. The attachment also includes an arm 27 pivoted at 28 to the free endof the arm it so as to be rotatable in either direction about thehorizontal axis of the pivot. The rotation of the arm 2? incounterclockwise direction is limited by abutment of the upper portionthereof against a stop 3! formed on the adjacent portion of the arm 26and towards which the arm 2'! is urged by a spring 32. The spring 32 issecured at 33 to the upper end of the arm 27, and at its to the arm 20.The lower end of the arm 2'! carries a roller 35 which is suitablyjournalled for free rotation. As shown, the lower end of the arm 2b isforked or formed into a bail, between the arms of which the roller isdisposed and to which it is journalled by means of a pin or stub shaft36. It will be noted that the arm 20 normally occupies a generallyhorizontal position, so that its free end is disposed near the peripheryof the wheel, and that thearm 2'? is normally disposed in a generallyvertical position with the roller 35 projecting slightly beyond theperiphery of the wheel and slightly above a flat or level surface onwhich the wheel may be positioned, such, for example, as a sidewalk 49or a street M. The distance between the bottom of the roller and thesurface on which the wheel rests is determined by the diameter of thewheel but is always such that, as the rear wheel, upon moving from thesidewalk 49 to the street il, loses contact with the sidewalk, theroller comes into engagement with the sidewalk, as shown in Fig. 2.

In operation, the carriage is pushed or pulled by the usual handle H,and, as long as the carriage moves over a given surface, the parts willbe in the position shown in Fig. 1. When, however, it is desired tocross the street, the front wheels, not shown, are dropped onto thestreet All. This can be readily and smoothly done because the mainweight of the carriage is still on the sidewalk. As the carriage movesthe di" rection of the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2, the rear I wheelsapproach the curb and begin to drop on the sidewalk. Without the use ofmy invention, and unless care is exercised and considerable effort isexerted, the rear wheels will drop onto the street with considerableshock or impact. By my invention, as the rear wheels leave the curb, therollers 35 ride on the sidewalk and,

as the carriage wheels move further downwardly to the street level, thearms 20 and 21 are rotated in counterclockwise direction, as viewed inFig. 2, against the tension of the spring 24. The strength of the spring24 is preferably substantially equal to the downward force exerted onthe axle [4. Since the downward movement of the wheels is resisted bythe spring 24, the wheels will approach the lower level slowly and willcome to rest on the street 41 gently, without any attention on the partof the person pushing the carriage. As soon as the rollers 35 are out ofengagement with the sidewalk, the energy stored in the spring 24 rotatesthe arms 29 and 21, as a unit, in clockwise direction to the positionshown in Fig. 1.

When the carriage is to be moved from the street 4| to the sidewalk 40,the carriage, if desired, is turned around, or pulled backward, so thatthe rear wheels approach the curb ahead of the front wheels, as shown bythe arrows in Fig. 3. As the carriage approaches the sidewalk, therollers 35 engage the vertical wall 42 of the curb and the arms 21 movein clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, against the tension of thespring 32. This prevents sudden or abrupt irnpact of the rear wheelsagainst the curb. The carriage may now be pulled up over the curb andonto the sidewalk in the usual manner.

In Fig. 8, I show a modified embodiment which is essentially the same asthat shown in Figs. 1 to 7, except that the lower end of the arm 21 isforked to provide two spaced arms 44- and 45, each of which carries aroller 35. This construction provides the desired balance, and sinceonly one bracket ll, one arm 20, one arm 21, one spring 24, and onespring 32 are used, the attachment shown in Fig. 8 may be lighter andless expensive than that shown in Figs. 1 to '7.

In Figs. 9 and 10, another embodiment is illustrated, in which a spring4'! is substituted for the spring 24. The spring 41 has one end thereofsecured to the bracket I! and the other end thereof secured to the axleso that, when the arm 29 is rotated in counterclockwise direction, asviewed in Fig. 9, energy is stored in the spring (37. Except in thisrespect, the structure shown in Fig. 10 is identical with that shown inFigs. 1 to 7. Also, the modification of Fig. 8 may be constructed withthe spring 4! replacing the spring 24.

What I claim is:

1. An attachment for use on a Wheeled vehicle including an axle and awheel rotatably mounted on said axle and by means of which said vehicleis moved over a supporting surface, said attachment including an armmounted at one end thereof for rotation about an axis parallel to theaxis of said axle, the free end of said arm being disposed near thetrailing periphery of said wheel, means for limiting the rotation ofsaid arm in one direction to provide a fixed position for said arm, aroller carried by the free end of said arm, said arm and said rollerbeing so arranged that, when said arm is in said fixed position, saidroller is out of engagement with said supporting surface and at least aportion of said roller projects beyond the trailing periphery of saidwheel in all positions of said arm, and biasing means urging said armtoward said fixed position with a force substantially equal to the loadto which said axle is subjected when said vehicle is in use so that, assaid wheel moves from said supporting surface to an abruptly lowersupporting surface, said roller engages said first-mentioned supportingsurface and carries said load while said arm is rotated in a directionaway from said fixed position against the action of said biasing meansuntil said wheel reaches and engages said abruptly lower surface, theenergy stored in said biasing means serving to return said arm to saidfixed position upon disengagement of said roller from saidfirst-mentioned supporting surface.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 including a bracket adapted to bedetachably secured to said axle and means pivotally connecting said armto said bracket.

3. An attachment for use on a wheeled vehicle including an axle and awheel rotatably mounted on said axle and by means of which said vehicleis moved over a supportin surface, said attachment including a first armmounted at one end thereof for rotation about the axis of said axle, thefree end of said arm being disposed near the trailing periphery of saidWheel, means for limiting the rotation of said arm in one direction toprovide a fixed position for said arm, a second arm, means pivotallyconnecting one end of said second arm to the free end of said first arm,means limiting the rotation of said second arm in one direction aboutits said pivotal connection to provide a fixed position in which saidarms are locked together for joint rotation about said axis, said secondarm being rotatable about its said pivotal connection away from andtowards its fixed position independently of said first arm, a firstbiasing means urging said second arm to its said fixed position, aroller carried by the free end of said second arm and so arranged that,when said arms are in their respective fixed positions, said roller isout of engagement with said supporting surface, and at least a portionof said roller projects beyond the trailing periphery of said wheel inall positions of said first arm, and a second biasing means urging saidfirst arm towards its said fixed position with a force substantiallyequal to the downward force to which said axle is subjected when saidvehicle is in use whereby, as said wheel moves from said supportingsurface to an abruptly lower supporting surface, said roller engagessaid first-mentioned supporting surface and said arms are jointlyrotated in a direction away from the fixed position of said first armagainst the action of said second biasing means until said wheel reachesand engages said abruptly lower surface, the energy stored in saidsecond biasing means serving to return said first arm to its fixedposition upon disengagement of said roller from said firstmentionedsupporting surface.

4. The structure recited in claim 3 in which a pair ofhorizontally-spaced rollers are carried by the free end of said secondarm.

5. The structure recited in claim 3 in which said first arm is normallydisposed substantially horizontally and said second arm is normallydisposed substantially vertically.

DAVID WEISSMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

